Ice and Dark
by raining-sin
Summary: PLEASE READ! A story about a pained young girl, Ruri. When she was little, she lost her whole family. She has failed her military exam, and the boy she has met doesn't like her. The trouble is, these are all lies.
1. The Attack

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal alchemist, any part of it, or anything associated with it. Too bad... wistfully thinking of Ed...

Do you ever get this feeling, that someone is watching you? Like someone is boring a hole into your back, with searing metal? Ruri had this same exact feeling. Someone, she knew, was watching over her, eyes searing a hole into her body. Her palms were sweaty, she was so tired from this that she could pass out at any moment, and her head pounded. She knew why, though.

"Alright, lets go. Times up, turn in the test." Ruri reluctantly stood up, head hung in defeat. As a last chance, she prayed, and filled in a couple random circles on the last ten of fifteen questions. I'm soo going to fail… and after all this hard work, too… She handed in her test papers with the three other teens trying out to be state alchemists. She was 14, the youngest of the group.

Ruri silently packed up her bag of books, pens, and her jacket, and wandered out onto the streets. She lived with her friend, Satoshi. He was a state alchemist, the Blade Alchemist, because he used mostly knives and swords for his attacks. He was a very good teacher, and she really wanted that state alchemist position!

She studied very hard, reading all of her textbooks several times over, and she didn't even need a transmutation circle. (Guess why not?) She was a summoning alchemist. This totally went against the law of Alchemy, so many people tried to kill her because they believed she was an obstruction to nature.

Satoshi said her nick-name would be something like "the Life Alchemist". Ruri thought that was pretty cool. She could summon random things, some over and over again. She could also summon extremley strong demons, but that usually left her drained….

It was dark out, and as she was pondering, a man rushed behind her, out onto the street. He was holding a knife, and it slashed across her back, causing blood to run down her waist. Ruri cried out in pain. She could feel the warm dark liquid trickling down her leg. The corners of her vision got black. She fell to her knees, loss of blood becoming greater and greater. Images got blurrier, the horizon tilted, and she fell all the way to the ground.

§ Three days later… §

"Ughh…" Ruri brought her hand to her forehead. Her eyes were glued shut, and she didn't want to bother with opening them. From nearby, she heard beeping. It was slow and steady.

"Am I in heaven?" she asked herself. The beeping quickened with the thought. And it slowed again, because she knew there wasn't this much pain in heaven. Her back felt like it was ripping apart. Something was poking the inside Ruri's other elbow, and she had light, thin clothes on. Someone walked in.

"How are you doing, Miss Sato?" a nurse asked. Ruri mumbled in reply. She continued. "You have been out for almost three days now. Lucky you, a young man cam by with his older brother, and carried you here. It took a blood transplant from the younger one for you to live."

"I AM NOT THE YOUNGER ONE! JEEZ, CAN'T YOU SEE I'M 15!"

She kind of laughed, until pain shot through her back, causing her to stop. The nurse leaned in, whispering, "And he absolutly _hates_ needles!"

A blonde haired teen walked up to the side of Ruri's bed, and shuddered at the sight of the IV linked to her arm. He extended his hand and said, "Hey. The names Ed. Edward Elric." She took his hand, and grasped it firmly. He reached up and brushed the damp hair from her eyes. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah..." she said softly. She blushed. "Thank you so much. Oh! Gomen nasai! My name is Ruri Sato." He thought, then smiled.

"My favorite stone!" he said. He was still holding on to her hand. The door to your room once again creaked open. A man with jet-black hair walked in, a.k.a. Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchamist. Ed dropped her hand and spun around.

"Colonel!" Ed saluted with his right hand, and Mustang nodded in return. "Don't forget what you were put here to do today, Elric." He swiftly walked back out. Ed sighed, turning to his charge.

"Good news, Miss Sato, you passed."

Ruri's point of veiw

"Good news, Miss Sato," he said, "you passed."

She shot up out of bed, so happy, the pain in her back was pushed to the corner of her mind. She smiled and spun around, laughing, throwing her hands up in the air. "YES! Whachya gonna do about _that_, shorty?" she asked playfully. Fortunatly, Ed could think of a lot of words descibing him, and being funny. _Un_fortunatly, "short" wasn't one of them.

He started stomping around, yelling about "being so short you could fry him under a magnifying glass" or whatnot. He came up, shaking her shoulders, almost realigning her spine in the process. "Whoah... slow down, brother," another voice said. Ed released Ruri's shoulders, thrashing in the air, as a man in a suit of armor picked him up off the ground. Ed slumped.

"Hello!" the man said cheerfully. His voice was young, though. "I'm Alphonse Elric, Ed's little brother!" He sounded like he was smiling inside the helmet. (author: yes, I can tell when someone is smiling, even if they aren't laughing. And when I can't see them, like over the phone or something.)

She giggled. "More like _big_ brother! Jeez, your like three feet taller than Ed!" She was laughing, pain once more shooting through your back. Boy, did Ed get a kick out of that. So did Ruri, right in the shins.

See second chapter!


	2. The Train Ride

A little while later, still in Ruri's Point of Veiw

Soon enough, she was walking toward the train station. Roy stopped by to see if she was okay before, and Ed told her he wanted her in cental for an assignment. She looked down at the ground, sifting through her thoughts. The past couple days have gone by so slowly... the second part of her State Alchemists exam, being attacked, meeting Ed and Al... It was all so unreal. Ruri stumbled, still being a little weak from being in the hospital, and Ed catches her arm.

"You're still weak," he said. "Get on my back. It's not far to the station from here." After a little arguing, she finally got on his back and held on to his shoulders. "Stupid boys..."

Ed's point of veiw

Ruri finally got on his back, and she was pretty light. She held on to his shoulders with a firm grip, and put her head next to his. Edward noticed her hair smelled a little like roses, but it was mostly masked with the sickening odor of blood. Before he knew it, he was at the train station with Al and Ruri.

Al rushed off to get three tickets, and he found Ruri was asleep on his shoulder. Ed smiled. When she wasn't calling him puny, she looked... _Nevermind..._ Al came back and asked why he was so red. He shrugged, said something about the heat that was barely audible, and clambered on the train.

Al helped his brother lay Ruri down on one of the seats, and he came and sat next to him on the one opposite. Ed got a little bored, and Al did too. So Al got up and decided to attend to people on the train with food and water. The compartment the blonde Elric boy was sitting in had a door, and he dragged it close to block out the noise. He heard a moan and look beside himself, to see Ruri waking up.

Ruri's Point of Veiw

She felt a steady rocking, and heard the slam of a door, which woke her up. Her brownish-golden hair fell into her eyes as she sat up, and she brushed it away. Ruri moaned and yawned, and Ed glance her way.

"Hey. Have a nice nap?" he asked.

"Actually, I did." She smiled. "Where's Al?"

"Talking to people." He paused, and licked his dry lips. "I'm going to get some water, okay?" She nodded her head, and he started to stand up. But just as he did, the train lurched.

General Point of Veiw (third person)

As Ed was standing up, the train gave a sudden jolt. He fell foward, and landed right in front of Ruri, one had beside each shoulder. But more importantly, his face was only a couple cetimeters from hers. Ruri stared, shocked, for a moment, and blushed. Ed hesitated, then lifted his hand to her chin, tilting it upward slightly. She leaned foward in her seat. Two centimeters. Ed moved slowly. One centimeter.

And their lips met. Ruri placed one hand on Ed's shoulder. It was bliss. But... It was almost as if someone knoew it was happening, almost as if that someone was controlling them...

Ruri slid over, allowing Ed to sit down, lips still together. He leaned over on her, arm wrapped around her small waist, another running through her golden-brown streaked hair. Then he wrapped the second arm around her shoulders, and the kiss deepened. Ruri now ran her fingers through his hair, undoing his braid. (Authors note: I almost put "undoing his brain" haha!)

But at that very moment, Al walked in.

"Uh, am... am I... inturrupting something?" Ed practically flew off Ruri, slamming back in his seat.

"NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL! RURI JUST WOKE UP! ITS NOT MY FAULT!" Ed yelled, blushing mad as hell.

"Phmt... hmpt.." Al smiggered. He couldn't hold it in. "AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" He was rolling around on the floor, beating his fists. "That... HAHA! was... phmt... a whole _lot_... hee hee!... of nothin'!" he choked in between fits of laughter.

Ed and Ruri were staring at the floor, faces practically steaming. Ed spoke first and said, "...I think I'm going to go get that water now."


	3. Yay!

After that long and embarrasing train ride, all three teens got off the train and headed for HQ. Ed got there first, showed the guard his watch (sorry, don't know how this place works...) and claimed Ruri and Al were with him.

Ruri's point of veiw

Ed gestured for her to follow him in, and so she did. He brought her to a door that looked just like all the others. Knocking once, he pushed her in. The man from the hospital was there.

"And you're Ruri Sato, right?"

The girl before him bowed and said, "Yes. I specialize in summons. Ed told me I was here for a breifing, my form, and my watch."

"And you are," he said. "But not only that." She tilted her head in confusion. "During the testing, Judges noticed that before summons, everything went cold. You also only summoned ice and water demons. Is this correct?"

She nodded, a little lost.

"Then you may have a hidden talent as an aquatic alchemist, as well." _Whoah. I'm an aquatic alchemist, too? This is so cool! _"But there is a test you must prove yourself to," he continued.

"Yes?"

"I need you to manipulate this cup of water here," Mustang said, pointing at the corner of the desk, where a foam cup stood. "And Ed and Al, you can stop eves dropping and come in." He said this without raising his voice. A creak of the door, and the Elric brothers were standing in the corner of the office, watching, showing signs of intrest in their eyes. (Well, technically, you can't tell what's in Al's eyes, but he's giving off an "interested" vibe.)

"Sorry, Colonel Mustang, sir" Ed said, dripping with sarcasm.

"No, your not."

She turn to Roy again as he continued. "Just make it move, jump, freeze, whatever." He propped his feet up on the desk and waited. Sweat trickled down her forehead as her concontrated on the cup. It slowly began to ripple. As it lifted out of the cup, the room temperature dropped to about 50 degrees, and the water started to freeze over. When she was done, she opened her eyes, and there was a small _clank! _A tiny ice sculpture was now on Mustang's desk. It was a heart, with feathery wings on either side.

"Okay... that clears it up!" Roy smirked. "A heart, eh? Got a lover, Miss Sato? Ha!" He put the ice sculture in the cup, snapped his fingers to melt it back to water, and drank it down. "Ahhh... Now. As for your mission. Sato, Elric, you will be partners."

Ed and Ruri looked at eachother. She saw a spark in Ed's eyes.

"Al will follow behind, acting out the part as a guard," he continued. "First, you will go to Vale, where you will find out more on alchemist attacks. Try and stop them if you can. Second, you will be acting as students, in the Institute of Juvenile Alchemists. Edward?"

"Yes?"

"You will be known as Edward Takahashi. Ruri, you will be known as Ruri Matsumoto. Try to find out why students are acting so weird." He handed her a silver watch and a form, and pointed to the door. Then he said, "If you can't find your way out, then you are officially stupid. Bye, shorty." Al restrained fuming Ed as she headed toward the exit.

As soon as the three alchemists walked out of the office and closed the door, Ed high-fived Ruri saying, "Cool, an aquatic alchemist!" She followed the boys out, headed for her first mission.

Later...

After a while of walking around, all three pass a four-star hotel. Since it was about 5:30 pm, Ed got a pretty big room. The man at the desk said everyone got a big discount since they were military personel. "Room 706," he said. Ed nodded and Ruri followed him to an elevator, went up to the seventh floor, and walked past a couple turns.

"Here it is," Al said, standing in front of a pastel door. Ed pulled a card out of his pocket and slipped it through the slot. A light flashed green, and everone walked in. She gasped.

"Pretty big! Edward Elric, this room is_ huge_!" she screamed in surprise. There was a full-size kitchen, stocked with a coffee maker, microwave, oven, etc. There was a HUGE living room, two fluffy couches, and T.V. Past one more door came the sleeping quarters, with two queen-sized beds. He smirked.

"Are you complaining?"

"Pht. YOU WISH!" She ran over to the couches and flopped down. Turning over, Ruri held a pillow against your stomach and sighed. "These feel like clouds! Mmm... I could stay here for-- OUCH! HEY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR!"

General Point of Veiw

Ruri sprinted over to the over-sized couches and did what looked like a body slam on one of them. She rolled over and sighed in contentment. Ed narrowed his eyes and gave an evil smile. He started to run over to her.

"These feel like clouds!" she said happily. He was getting closer now... Jaws music plays in background.. "Da dum... Da dum... Da dum.. Da dum... da dum da dum dadumdadum..." haha.

"Mmm... I could stay her for--" He pounced, landing directly on top of the pillow on her stomache.

"OUCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Ruri screamed. Ed laughed as Al sighed and walked to the bedroom with the suitcases.

"Uncle?" He asked playfully. He reached over and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. She blushed, trying to hide it, but failed.

"Again, you wish!" Ruri kicked out and spun, sending Ed to the floor, with about three inches of room between the modern metal coffee table and the couch. Ruri started to roll after him, so she would be the one on top, but she over spun and lost her balance. Grabbing for something to help, her hand closed around a pillow. "Crap!" she said as she fell, rolling down.

Well, she did land on top of Ed, but... not in the playful friend way she had in mind. Ruri's pillow was now in between the two, squashed in the middle of their midriffs, and she had fallen right into his open arms... literally. She was now laying on Ed, breathing hard, shocked. Ed stared into her eyes, and she felt his hands rest on the small of her back. (Not her butt, you sick person) She stared back into his golden eyes, all the playfulness gone, replaced by surprise and... _Delight?_ she thought. _Is he _happy_ I'm laying on top of him!_

Ed's point of veiw

Ruri stared back, her face once again only a slight distance from his.

Her eyes started darted out toward the door as you heard Al ask, "Bother?" Embarrasment started to flood through him, racking his body, at the thought of the moment on the train... Being the quick-thinking alchemist he was known for, he clapped his hands over Ruri's back and pressed them against the floor. A little blue stream flitted across the floor, up the door, and into the doorknob. A quiet _click! _told you your plan had worked, and the door was locked.

"Brother?" Al called again.

"What, Al?" he shouted back. Ruri's weight made it hard to talk loud.

"Which bed do you want?"

"I don't know, I'll be in in a sec, okay?" Al aknowledged (sorry, don't know how spell...) his answer and resumed packing. Ruri turned back to Ed, her body going slack in relief. Brown hair streaked with gold brushed his face. She placed her hand on his shoulder and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

Once again, he brought his hand up, stroking her hair. She raised her head and looked at the boy under her again with icey-purple eyes, filled with reassurance and comfort. He raised his head as she leaned in, and once again, their lips touched.

Until something snapped the two apart. It was...

Stay tuned for chapter four, The Competition!


	4. Competition

Until something snapped the two apart. It was nothing but a soft knock at the door.

General Point of Veiw

_Tap tap tap_... "Room service!" A small knock and a teenage male voice called out. Ruri stood up quickly to the side of Ed, blood rushing down from her head making her dizzy. Ed stood up slowly and steadied her, as they both made their way to the door. Ed opened it and peered around the corner, as if asking why the boy interrupted such a moment. "Hello," he said, "You forgot your... Oh... um..." He had cought sight of Ruri, who was now standing beside Ed. The boy knelt down and swiftly took her hand, kissing it gently and saying. "Hello, miss. My name is--"

"That's nice, now goodbye!" Ed swiped the towels from the boy and slammed the door just as Ruri was pulling her hand back. He listened intently to hear footsteps slowly padding out.

"Who was at the door, brother?" Al inquired from the room over.

"Nobody."

"Why did you slam the door in his face, Ed" Ruri asked quietly. She changed to a taunting tone of voice and smirked, dancing around the blond teen in front of her. "Is it because your _jealous?_" Ruri waited for Ed to explode at this, but instead, his bangs just swept in front of his face as he put his head down and walked away.

He paused at the locked door to the bedroom and unlocked it, saying, "I'll sleep on the couch. It pulls out to a bed anyway. Get in the shower, cause you won't have time to take one tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, "but let me sleep on the couch. It will be easier for me." He nodded at this and started to move to the bedroom, but instead backed up and flopped on the couch again. Picking up the remote, he surfed for a couple channels, and said "I'll wait till your done in there."

Ruri's Point of Veiw (in the shower)

As the hot water ran down her back, she felt pain sear through it for the first time in what seemed like forever. The train ride from Central seemed so long away... Ruri reached for the shampoo and lathered it in your hair, smelling the sweet strawberry as it drizzled down her face.

"Mmm... it's so nice to be able to shower again," she whispered to herself. "Now I won't smell like crap." She smiled and applied conditioner. Sounds of the television in the room over were creeping through the door, and after washing down her body and drying off, she realized she forgot her clothes.

_Shit_. "ED! I'M COMING OUT, SO YOU BETTER NOT BE PEEKIN'! IF YOU DO, I SWEAR I'M GONNA PUMMEL YOU LIKE HELL!" she screamed, banging hard on the door.

General point of veiw

No reply. Ruri wrapped the towel tight, making sure it wouldn't fall off. She tentively (can't spell...) opened the door about three inches and peeked round the corner. She could see the corner of the T.V., and the end of Ed's braid. (I almost put brain again... jeez...) Creeping up, the aquatic alchemist saw he had already made the bed for her, and her suitcase was right by it. And of course, Ed was right beside the suitcase, waiting for Ruri to get out. Good thing though, cause he was already half asleep.

Quietly, she snuck around and started to unzip her baggage, careful not to make too much noise. But unfortunately, the T.V. felt it had to make a particularly loud noise...

HELP ME! sigh I need ideas. I like it when people send me their ideas, so I can recognize them and make a story out of it. please leave a reveiw messege with an idea in it so it'll alert me! Im going to start writing the fifth chapter in about four days, and I'm going to use the idea I like best, alright? The person who sent me the idea WILL receive credit. thanks a bunch! - the fallen megami


	5. Train Trouble

_**Gah! please send me stuff! This is my first fanfic, and I need help!**_

but, anywho, _on with the story!_

RECAP: But all of the sudden, the television felt it had to let out a particualrly loud noise...

"Unngh... Wha..." Ed's eyelids fluttered open, revealing gloden eyes, pupils big from the dark of his closed eyelids. "...Ruri...?" But they quickly shrank at the sight of the teen girl in front of him, with nothing on but a towel.

"EEEK! YOU FREAKIN PERVERT! AAGH!" Ruri swiped the nearest hard object (a book) and chucked it at Ed, both blushing madly. It hit the bull's eye... Ed's head. Poor Ed. Heh. Little did she know, Ruri had just happened to chuck her sketch book. Running into the bathroom with clothes in hand, she slammed the door.Ed rubbed the spot on his head where the book hit him, still half asleep. Al called from the other room to make sure everything was alright.

"Yeah, accept I had this really weird dream..." He trailed off. _I had this really weird dream... _he thought, _Where an angel came to me... in a towel... and hit me with something... hmm... _ He paused in his thoughts and closed his eyes. _But, she had an automail arm... just like me... _

He looked down in his lap, where her sketch book lay. He curiously opened the first couple pages. For about ten pages, the sketches were of accurate transmutation circles, and what Ed supposed were demons she had summoned. Then the sketches changed, revealing a young man with blue hair that went down to his hip in long spikes. (Kind of like Envy. Envy rocks!) Ed flushed, but he did not know why._ Could it be..._ he thought, t_hat I'm... Jealous?_ _Pfft, yeah right._ He continued to flip, seeing pictures of what would be her house, animals, and... _That's me!_ He saw every detail, even the loose hairs, and the small freckle on his ear. He forced down the blush creeping on his face, and flipped to the next page. Another picture of Ed. This went on for about 15 pages, occasionally broken up by sketches of Al's armor. Until Ed reached the last page of that book. It was them kissing. Their first kiss, on the train.

Ed had just enough time to close the book and drop it on her suitcase before he fainted.

**The next morning... about eight AM, Eddie boy's point 'o veiw...  
**

"Come on, Brother, we're going to miss the train!" Al's cold armor shook him slightly, freezing against his warm skin.

"Mmm... 'M tr'n ta git smm sl'p hrr, ll," Ed mumbled into the white pillow. (tanslation: I'm trying to get some sleep here, Al!)

He felt the pressure of someone sitting down next to him on the bed, then lay down and put their arm around his shoulders. A soft voice whispered into Ed's ear.

"Come on, Ed, get up," she said. It was Ruri. She moved in closer...

No ones point of veiw now, sorry...

Ruri leaned in closer, almost hugging him, whispering into his ear. "Let's go now, come on." Ed didn't move, and tried to hide his blush by pressing his face deeper into his pillow. Ruri was about an inch away. Al was snickering in the background. "Come on..." she paused. "Shorty!"

That was it.

Ed flew out of bed, fuming. "I AM _NOT_SHORT, GOT THAT!" His blonde hair was messed and he was pointing an accusing finger at Ruri, who was laying on the bed on her side, smiling triumphantly. He didn't want to admit it, but she looked pretty good in sophies and a small long sleeved top. Weird thing was, she never took off her gloves. And she always had long sleeves. (Sophies are those REALLY short cotton shorts. I look horrible in them. Might as well make her look good, right?)

Ed's head was VERY light, considering he got up so fast, and his vision was blurry. The last thing he saw was Ruri walking toward him in her skimpy sleeping clothes.

The last thing he said was, "Whoah,... ugh... you're... you're the angel, aren't you...?"

Ed collapsed against Ruri, head resting on her shoulder and making her blush. "...Angel?"

Al laid him on the bed, and told Ruri to get dressed. She nodded at began to get ready, pondering what Ed meant by "angel".

**Later on, at the train station... **

"Alright, I'll go get tickets, you guys stay here!" Ruri smiled as she rushed off to the ticket kiosk. (how do you spell that?)

Ed sighed. "Whatever, just hurry up." He crossed his arms. Al wanted to know why he wasn't talking much, but decided to keep quiet. Ruri came back with tickets to Vale just as the train arrived.

"Let's go!" she said happily.

All three alchemists go on, and Al sensed something was wrong between the two. They would always make sure he was between them, and it was getting annoying. So he got an idea.

"Guys, I'm going to ask the train attendant... umm... something, alright?" Ed continued staring out the window, while in the seat across from him, Ruri nodded. Al got up, and closed the compartment door behind him. (We're going to follow Al around for a bit, okay?) He asked the man in the nearby compartment for a peice of chalk or a pencil, and luckily he had one. Al thanked him and walked back to the closed compartment door. After drawing a transmutation circle on it, he placed his hands to perform alchemy. A jet of partical rearrangement, and the deed was done.

* * *

Ed heard a slight click on the door to the compartment. He got up and tried to slide the door open. It was locked. 

He turned. "I'm gonna kill Al."


	6. Ed and guns don't mix

Hey, sorry it took so long to update! I had like fifty things due in school... -sigh-

Me: "I do!"

Wedding dude: "and do you, Edward Elric, take this wonderful young lady to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Ed: "I do."

Wedding dude: "If anyone has any objection to these two getting married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Arakawa: "I do, I own the Fullmetal."

Me: "Shit. Would you just go _away_!"

I didn't make this up, Inuyashaangel did. she is an excellent write along with navybluewings, so please check them out. if you like my stories, and you like harry potter, look up Summer at the Grangers' by Wicked30215. i helped make it!

on with the chappie...

Sooo...

General Point of Veiw...

"I'm so gonna kill Al." Ruri looked up to see a nervous and angry look in Ed's eye. He crossed his arms and pouted, dropping down on the seat. "What a nice little brother."

"What did he do?"

"Locked us in," he said flatly.

"Well couldn't you just..." she trailed. _Hmm, I wonder why Al would do that? He seemed so nice..._

Ed looked over at Ruri, who was looking down at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. Her highlighted hair swung when the train did, and she crossed her arms loosely. Her head fell against the dise of the compartment, and she fell asleep again, mouth in a slight smile.

Ed heard the thump of her head against the wall as the train struck more bumps, even though it didn't wake her up. _Her head is going to be full of bruises when she wakes up_. He snorted._ But I don't want her to complain..._

Silently, he crept up and around, lifting her head gently off the wall. Lifting her legs under his other arm, he turned her so she could lay down. Frantically searching for a pillow because he didn't want to wake her up, he sighed. No pillows, right when he needed it. Lifting her head once again, he slid under it and placed her in his lap.

His eyes traveled along her face, taking in her long eyelashes, soft cheeks, and, unfortunately, the lines now creased in her face by worry from the last few days. Once again, like that time in the hospital so long ago, he brushed the hair from Ruri's face, sighing as he continued looking out the window.

About three hours later, Al undid the lock and crept in, snickering quietly.

"Hey brother."

"Al..." Ed growled.

"What?"

Ed was just about to have a cow, when he remembered that he had a teenage girl's head in his lap, and that she was sleeping. "You do that again and you die. It wasn't funny locking us in like that!"

"Well at least you made up, didn't you?"

"Hmph."

Another six hours later, after Al had taken a nap and gone out to serve the other passengers again...

"Mmm..." Ruri's eyes fluttered open, and she yawned wide. "Wha...?" She glanced around to take hold of her surroundings, and remembered the train she was on, headed for Vale. Feeling something around her waist, she looked down and gasped. Ed's arms were around her, holding on tight. When she realized he wasn't letting go, she started to squirm. But the deep breathing on the back of her neck made her stop, and told her he was asleep.

And she was also completely curled up in his lap, no way out. His blonde hair tickled her neck, making her smile.

One hour later

"Ahh, that was a nice nap!" Ed yawned. He he nearly screamed bloody murdur when he saw he was holding Ruri. Al was across from the two, also sleeping. Suddnely, the train slowed, and an attendant announced they were at Vale. Ed arranged himself so he could carry the young girl, and headed out, Al with the Luggage.

At the new hotel...

Al opened the door this time, and put the luggage in the bedroom. There was only one bed, cause Vale was a slightly rundown town. Ed placed Ruri on the couch and took a quick shower. Ed noticed he didn't have a place to sleep. "Hi, I'm in room 205, and I wanted to know if I could have an extra blanket or five."

There was a short, dry laugh on the other line. "Okay, room service will be there shortly." The desk attendant hung up.

About two minutes later, there was a knock on the door and a female voice called out this time as Ed swung it open. His eyes grew with disbeliefe at the gun muzzle at point blank.

"Hand over the girl, and I won't shoot," the man in front of him threatened. His hand was around the throat of a young girl in a navy blue uniform, who was now sobbing, thrashing at him.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't I kill her," he gestured to the terrified girl, "you," he cocked the gun a little up, "and your little girlfriend." He moved his head quickly, nodding inside to the sleeping figure on the couch. "So hurry up."

Ed's thoughts raced through his mind as he glanced at the choked girl on her knees. She looked up at him, eyes swollen from crying, face drained of color. He raised his voice a little and called, "Ruri. Come here for a moment."

"Mmm... I don't feel good... I can't go to school today, Satoshi..." She rolled over and curled up tighter. Ed Inwardly smiled as he called her name again, voiced raised even more.

"Ruri. It's Ed. I need your help. Right now."

Ruri mumbled and got up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. But at the sight of the silver metal of the gun, inches away from Ed's face, she was instantly alert. "What... What the hell is going on here!"

The black-haired man on the threshold answered her first, with a comand. "Let's go. Now."

"I don't think so!" Ed clapped his hands quickly, restoring the flow of alchemic energy within his body. Shoving his hand on the barrel, he transmuted it, so it bent backwards. The man only gave a grimacing smirk. Using his bare hands, he bent the muzzle back, slightly crooked, but once again pointing at Ed.

Ed's eyes grew. "What are you?" he choked.

"Your worst nightmare."

And he shot.


	7. The arm of truth

Sorry the last couple were so short... so I'm trying really hard to get these next ones done pretty fast. PLEASE REVEIW, i NEED HEEEEELLLLPP! -sob- AND I DONT OWN THE FULLMETAL... WAAAAHHH!

Ed: great, here she goes again...

Assasin dude: -sigh- I guess I should go get the blankets and plushies...

Al: I'll get the ice cream...

A little while later...

Me: Ahh! I can't remember why I was crying, thanks!

Ed: ... because you don't own me, and you don't even have ten reveiws?... jeez...

Winry: Nice.

Me: -sniffle- WWAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Al: -shakes head and walks away-

Assassin dude: -rolls eyes and follows Al-

But enough of that, On with the intensified suspension, because, being the humble person I am, I would have no reason whatsoever to keep you wonderful people who read my stories from contiuing. And, once again before we start, I want to thank you again, and please reveiw! Alright, here we go... Oh! one more thing...ALRIGHT! -dodges several sharp objects-

And he shot.

But, of course, Ed didn't get hurt at all.

His automail arm flew out, bullet merely bouncing off the ringing metal and flying off in a different direction. The man's eyes widened.

"Automail..."

"That's right!" It was Ruri's turn to act. Running to the center of the room, she kneeled quickly and placed her hands on the floor, murmuring words no one but her understood. But after about three seconds of silence, there was a brilliant flash and a drop in temperature, and something started to come out from the floor.

All four of the people in the room gasped. (Al had just walked in) The creature that Ruri had summoned was indeed an ice demon.

But it was a boy. In human form. He had white hair down to his shoulders in long streaks, and he wore a robe of white and blue. But the most surprising thing was, that he had wings.

Huge, white, feathery wings with blue tips spurted from his back, filling any extra space on either side of him. Ruri stood as he crouched, ready for action. "I'm ready when you are," he said.

Ruri nodded and replied calmly, "Ed, move." Ed jumped at the sound of her voice, colder than the room air. She nodded. "Ready."

The demon thrust out his hand, first two fingers extended at the target while the others curled. She spoke on word. "Go."

A peircing sound filled the air, much like the sound of a tree breaking free of the trunk as its last threads of life were broken. That's what it sounded like, when life was being violently torn away from its roots.

Another bright flash, so bright it could rival the sun. Ice crystals shot from his extended fingers as he gripped his elbow with the other hand to steady himself. His eyes scrunched up in effort. Ruri just stood there as before, hair whipping her face, thrashing at her neck, long robe she had magically changed into now lashing around her knees. But her eyes stayed open, cold as ice.

Several thuds could be heard from in the hall as the light died down. Along with the screames of the girl and man. He was peirced in the shoulder with a huge shard of crystal clear ice, pinning him against the wall. Blood ran down to other shards that peirced only his clothes. He was immobile. Face now scrunched in a grimace of pain, he said, "I'll get you."

Ruri smiled cooly. "I doubt it." Her demon stood, moving so he was beside her instead of in front. He smirked.

He crossed his arms and flung the snowy silver hair out of his face. "And stay out. Harm my girl, and you answer to me."

* * *

Ed grumbled at Al's flimsy attempts to comfort him. In the room over, he could still hear them talking to eachother. He grumbled again, letting a stream of unrepeatable words. (Me: heh... sweatdrop appears) "Demon and human... 'My girl', hmph... Come on, really!" 

Al siged as he listened to the couple in the living room, where they were sitting on the couch, replaying the events of the happenings of the last few days. Ruri relayed to "Shiro" what had happened with her. Shiro said what had gone on in the demonic world without her.

"Same as always, Mom and Dad are _still_ freaking out about me becoming a full-fledged demon. Can you believe it!"

Ruri laughed and said, "I know! Satoshi is so proud of me becoming a State Alchemist, I talked to him on the phone a couple days ago. He's been acting strange though... Oh," she said, remembering something important, "I got attacked, too!"

"WHAT! AND YOU JUST NOW THINK OF TELLING ME THAT! I need to stay with you more often..." She laughed and waved her hand, signifying that it was no big deal.

"I had to have a blood transfusion, but I was fine." She paused. "But I do have a small scar."

"Let me see."

"B-but I'm going to have to take my shirt off!" She flung her arms around herself in protection, more for mental reassurance than actual physical shielding.

"Let me see." he repeated. "I've seen you a thousand times in a swimsuit, this is no different."

Ed had had enough. He was not going to allow this pervert to torture his new friend that was more like a just-slightly-more-than-a-friend.

"Hmph. Pervert." She slowly stood and removed her shirt, allowing her friend to see the red scar that stretched across from upper left shoulder to the bottom of her waist on the right.

Ed walked in.

Ruri didn't notice him until she heard him gasp. She whirled around, behind Shiro, who was standing protectivly in front of her.

Ed's eyes widened, but not at Ruri's body. "Auto... Auto... Automail?" He got dizzy and slumped against the door. Ruri looked down, the word "Guilty" written all over her face.

"Yes. Yes Ed, I have an automail arm, just like you." She pulled on Shiro's hand gently, tugging him out with her. He grabbed her shirt and followed into the rain outside.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Please review! I'm not putting the next one up till I get ten! -points and laughs- HA! see yalls later! 

Ruri out!


	8. Pain and Realization

Alrighty, so Ruri's running outside, right? okee dokee...

Disclamer: too tired to write anything funni, so I'm just gonna say I don't own him, alright? Stupid Lawyers... is that how you spell it?

Please dont mind the grammar and spelling... Even though I'm in the gifted classes and have an acceptable grade.

General point of view...

"Ruri!" Ed ran frantically about in the pouring rain that was matting his hair down to his head. The streetlamps were nothing but a blur in the rolling grey around the city of Vale. He could hardly see six inches in front of his nose. The grey automail was cold and hard against his forehead as he brushed the hair impatiently from his face.

Calling out her name again, he continued to run, wind whipping his face and legs, rain thrashing at him like small lethal bullets.

Unconsciously, the song Boulevard of Broken Dreams (By Greenday) floated into his head. It was a song she listened to on the train.

_ I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
and I'm the only one and I walk alone_

He continued shearching for her, jogging coming to a run...

_ I walk alone_  
_ I walk alone_

_ I walk alone_  
_ I walk a..._

_ My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_  
_ My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_  
_ Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_  
_ 'Til then I walk alone_

_ Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,_  
_ Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah_

He slowed suddenly, hunched over, hands on his knees. Her smiling face flashed across his mind. Her voice, her sent of flowers. The soft touch of her lips as the sun grazed them through the window on the train.

_ I'm walking down the line_  
_ That divides me somewhere in my mind_  
_ On the border line_  
_ Of the edge and where I walk alone  
_

_ Read between the lines_  
_ What's f-ed up and everything's alright_  
_ Check my vital signs_  
_ To know I'm still alive and I walk alone_

_ I walk alone_  
_ I walk alone_

_ I walk alone_  
_ I walk a..._

Ed collapsed to his hands and knees, vomiting. Blood and tears ran together as he was wracked with silent sobs. White gloves turned crimson with the very liquid that ran through his veins. The very substance that rushed to his cheeks and ears when she smiled. What sped up to a frightening pace when she came close enough.

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

_Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah  
Ah-ah, Ah-ah_

_I walk alone  
I walk a..._

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk a..._

He though he saw something... Pain shot through him as he was pelted again with drops pain's essence. A grimace flitted across his face as he edged closer and saw that there were two people... Blood ran from his mouth in little streams of death...

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone..._

And there she was, wrapped in Shiro's arms. Her face buried against his chest. And her body was being shaken violently with choked sobs. Tears of sorrow that had been building up over the last week ran freely with the rain as she looked up at the silver-haired boy holding her tightly. She released her fierce grip on his white shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing her forehead against his cheek, she said, "You know, I thought I had lost my family forever that night." Rain poured down Shiro's hair, dripping onto her cheeks and running down her neck.

He only nodded, full of understand and comfort. Ed couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"But, I never realized. They were here all along." She brought her head down and forced a smile, though tears continued to down her face. "Thank you so much." And, still, the little grey droplets fell from the sky, still running with Ed's blood, still flowing with Ruri's tears.

He only pulled her tighter. Her face was once again pressed in the snowy fabric covering his shoulder. Ed turned, facing the rain again. To him, the rain that was falling to the Earth was full of pain and death, rejection and hatred. But to Ruri, who was now only about thrirty feet away, each droplet wiped _away_ the pain, and flooded her with warmth and relization. Even though it brought back memories that she used to want to forget, it showed her that you could never cut away a piece of your life. It showed her she wasn't alone.

The rain gave Ed something to listen to while he walked to the hotel. He walked the empty street alone. Not even his shadow was there to walk beside him. And his heart was left behind on the pavement, running with the blood and drops of pain.

_'Til then I walk alone..._

* * *

Al had fallen asleep by the time Ed got back to the hotel. He went into his bedroom and locked the door tight with alchemy, stripped down to his boxers, and fell on the floor. Moments of what he had just seen flashed across his eyes. He fell asleep into a dreamless night of black, pieces of his heart so small that they could pass through the eye of a needle. 

Ruri got home with Shiro a couple minutes after Ed, completely unaware that he was following her. But as she stepped in, the heavy weight of sadness and anger filled the room. Shiro followed, catching the door before it woke anyone. She too changed, and layed down on the couch. Shiro opened his eyes since she was done changing, and walked over.

"Won't you get cold?"

She smiled. "It's alright. The other room with all the blankets is locked, and I don't want to wake anyone if their sleeping."

"You were already out in the rain. I don't want you getting sick."

He stood beside her and unfurled his wings, which were still dripping. "Here, you dry me, and I'll keep you warm throughout the night."

She did not understand, for he was an ice deamon, but seeing it was hopeless to argue, she got up and placed two weary hands on his sholders. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "Toros pai, shalom vreth coluthe." (Tanslation: spirit of fire, give him warmth.) Instantly, Ruri's hands glowed red, and a very warm gust flitted quickly around the two. Feathers rustled and hair blew with the breeze. Slowly, the wind dispersed, leaving both human and deamon dry and warm. She lay back down on the old couch, saying, "Happy? But I don't know what good it'll do, your element is ice. Ice isn't very warm."

"But feathers are, aren't they?" He raised her shoulders and slid underneath her head, putting a pillow on his lap. Carefully laying Ruri's head down again, he though he saw a small blush on her cheeks.

"Do I have something on my face?"

"Huh?" He whipped his head up and focused on his job: protecting her. Stretching his wings to the limit (About a seven foot span total), he carefully relaxed one so it layed on her legs and midriff. The other one curled around her head and shoulders. He looked down and smiled.

Her eyes closed and she squeezed the hand the was resting right beside hers. "Good night. And thanks again. "

"Good night, Ruri."


	9. Shiro?

I know, a couple chapters back I said I wouldnt post the new ones until I got 10 more reveiws. Oh well... heh...

Disclamer: I, in no way, own the fullmetal. Though I wouldn't want to right now, considering the state he's in from seeing Ruri...

General point of view...

Ruri awoke in the morning, smiling at the soft comfort that surounded her throughout the night. Shiro's head was lolling off to the side, and he was snoring lightly. Giggling silently, she reached up and tickled his chin.

"GAH! Get it off!" He awoke suddenly, eyes wide, hands snatching her own from his neck. "Huh?"

"Hah! It still works!'

"That's not very nice, considering I kept you warm!" He smirked.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Thank you." She smiled at the memory of her first time waking him up, but nothing worked except tickling him under his chin. A memory of waking Ed up by calling him short flashed passed, too. She frowed slightly.

"Something wrong?"

"No." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hoisted herself to a sitting position on his lap. A small tint of red crept up onto Shiro's face. (By the way, "Shiro" means "Pain"... or something...)

She leapt off his lap and twirled around, smiling wide and saying, "I slept great! Now I have to go wake Ed and Al up, or we're going to be late!"

"WHAT! You mean you've been traveling with those two boys! You could've been hurt! They could've done something to you!..." He went on muttering as Ruri walked to the Elrics' bedroom door.

_Knock knock_... "Guys? Come on... I'm gonna come in!" She pushed on the door while trying to twist the handle, but to no avail.

"Did they lock you out or something?" Shiro crossed his arms.

"Ed most likely, Al wouldn't do this." Her shoulders drooped.

"Watch and learn, little girl." He smirked and stood as Ruri was complaining about not being "little". Tracing the hinges and knob on the door, they slowly iced over and froze. (Like, -20 degrees or something, okay?) "Hah! Too easy!" With a final push, the metal restraints shattered like glass, and he caught the door before it his the ground... Or rather, before it hit Edward.

Ruri was laughing as she walked in, but her laugh was caught in her throat, which had now become more like sandpaper. The sight before her made it look like someon had died. The repungent odor of blood and bile filled the room, and Ed was on the ground, sleeping.

Al, of course, was still asleep. Ed's face was tearstained from the night before. Blood left a dried river down his cheek, and his skin was pale like wax. Hair was matted, dampened from the heavy rain the night before. He was curled into a little ball, knees tucked in his arms around his chest. Ruri knew he had a metal are, and that Al's suit was empty, Roy told her. But she didn't know that he also had a metal leg.

"...Ed... Edward?" Ruri bent on shaking knees, placing a hand on his head. "Oh... he has a fever! Crap, Edward, what happened?" A single tear ran down her cheek, falling and blending with his.

"Ugh..." Ed's eyelids lifted slowly, feeling a cool hand against his skin. "Agh! Get off!" He swatted her hand away, making her cringe. "God, stupid girl." He stood and she stood with him. She continued to stare. "What the hell do you want, wench?"

"That is _no_ way to speak to her," Shiro cut in. "Can't you see she's concerned!" Ed tossed a careless glance her way, and saw more tears boiling around her eyes, threatining to fall any moment. She blinked quickly, and they tumbled down her cheeks.

"Pft... Like I would care." But even as he said it, a knot of guilt started to twist in his gut.

"You... You have a fever... But if stay... We'll miss the train."

"Fine then, let's get going."

"Whoah, slow down. You have blood on your face," Shiro pointed out.

"Fine then. I'll take a shower, _then_ we can get going."

So Ed showered, Al woke up, and Ruri changed. All Shiro had to do was murmur a distinct prayer, and his clothes instantly changed. On the train toward Crimson City (where the university is) Shiro and Ruri got a seperate compartment from Ed and Al. (Shiro "hid" his wings, so he wouldn't draw attention)

* * *

In the Elrics' compartment... 

"What's wrong, brother? You look like you hardly got any sleep last night."

"I'm just not feeling well is all. And something's not right."

A urged his older brother to go on.

He sighed. "Well, you know how she can summon things from a world we didn't know existed?"

"She? Oh, you mean Ruri? Yeah, I know." Al shifted in his seat to look at his brother directly.

"Well, that doesn't exactly go with the rules of alchemy. I'm wondering, if she's not exactly an alchemist, but something she doesn't want to reveal just yet..." He let the statement hang in the air.

* * *

In the compartment over... 

"What's wrong, Ruri?"

"I... I don't know why Ed would act like that to me..."

Shiro crossed his arms. "Keh. It's more than that. Open your mind at let me see why you truly worry."

Ruri bowed her head and sis as she was told as Shiro placed a hand on her hair. She heard him grunt as her emotions flooded into him, her thoughts revealing themselves. Memrories flashed past. Though she hid a lot of her internal goings-on from him, most of it was open for access. And "Most of it" was a whole lot.

Pain, anger, regret, sadness, happiness, joy, envy, shame, hope, delight, guilt, excitment, angst, loss, fustration, annoyance, indifference... and love. Shiro was calm when the emotions flowed into him lke a river. Calm for every one... All of them but one. Three guesses which

Ruri had had her mind searched many times before, and she was well-prepared. But it had been at the very least three months since the last time. And she couldn't guard her mind as well. To make it worse, the mamory she was trying to hide from him was the strongest that he did not already know of, and pushing strong memories into the shadows was hard when someone was probing you.

A memory in the hotel flashed past. The hotel in Central, the big one, right after Ruri had gotten her briefing. Ed was on the floor. Ruri's head was on his chest, and his arms were resting on the small of her back. But to add insult to ingury, not only did the memory float past the barrier, but emotion did as well. And the emotion that Shiro received was not a pleasing one.

He cringed and drew back so quick, memories were still trying to flow from Ruri's mind, convinced that Shiro was still there trying to comfort her.

But now, he was trying to do just the opposite. His eyes snapped open and his back went rigid as what she felt entered him.

That was happiness.

His face flushed red with anger and envy as he tried to remain calm. He failed. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! WHAT WERE YOU DOING, ON TOP OF HIM LIKE THAT! RURI, I WAS CREATED TO PROTECT YOU, AND YOU GO AND KISS SOME GUY YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!" He was standing over her now. She kept her head down in shame. But thankfully, the door was closed.

But someone heard her.

The door swung open with a loud _clack!_ from the force. "Stop yelling at her like that." Ed'svoice was hoarse, like he hadn't used it in a decade. "You say you're her protecter, but look at what your doing.

Shiro paused in shock at what the teenager had said. Ruri lifted her head slightly, tears running down her neck, soaking the black shirt she now wore. He fell to his knees, looking up at her. In a weak voice, he wishpered, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

* * *

Later, after they got off the train... 

Ruri, Al, Ed, and Shiro were walking through the streets of Crimson City. It was about 7:30 am. Stopping at a map, Al traced the route to the University they would be attending. "This way," he said, pointing east. The foursome walked on, when Ruri noticed something.

"Uh, sorry Shiro, but I don't think you will be coming with us," she smiled, "And there is _no_ way I'm leaving you alone."

He nodded in sad dissapointment, but understood all the same. Ruri stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Good bye, Shiro. I will see you soon."

"Good bye, Ruri Sato."

With a bright flash and a small gust, Shiro returned to his place in the demonic world. Ruri was left hugging the cool morning air.

"Come on, Ruri. We don't want to miss our little appointment, do we?" Ed called back. He was already 15 yards ahead.

Ruri looked down and hurried to catch up.

* * *

Aaww, so sad... Bye bye, Shiro! but he will come back soon. and this time, to make up for it, I'm not posting till i get **13** reviews! Mwahahaha! 

Ruri out!


	10. Into the university we go

Disclaimer: Nopee Dopee, don't own 'em, except for Ruri and Shiro, haha.

"Well then, you can proceed to your dorms." The headmaster smiled. He was about in his 60's. Ruri and Ed nodded and started outward, but Ed wanted to ask one more thing.

"Um, Sir?"

"Yes Edward?"

"When can I go visit Alph... The guard that came with us?" He caught himself before calling his brother by the proper name.

The old man smiled again. "Anytime you want that you should not be in class. But take heed that you will be punished if you do not do your work. Same goes for you," he said, gesturing at Ruri.

They nodded and left, instruction being complete for the time being.

Out by the dorms...

"Well," Ruri said quietly, "At least we are in the same building. Even if we're four floors apart."

Ed said, "I'm in room 308 B. Remember that if you need me."

"You already told me that. About a thousand times."

"Make it a thousand and one, then." He smirked. "And you still haven't told me where you are!"

"708 A." She looked down at the instruction booklet she had gotten. Ed had gotten an identical one.

"That's easy to remember." The elevator let out a small beep as it reached the third floor. "See ya!"

Ruri smiled. "Bye!" The doors slid shut and continued onto the seventh floor. Numbers flashed by on the screen and her eyes flitted to a small bulletin board on the wall. She read it quickly, interest growing.

_Attention Potential State Alchemists!_

_There will be a competition held on January sixth for all who wish to participate! Three rounds, a maximum of two hundred participants, and only one winner. All who wish to apply must fill out the form below._

_Opponents must meet in the lounge of the Student Center one day before the tournament after classes let out. They will be given instructions then. _

_Please consider!_

_-UJA Student Council_

Ruri snatched two off the board and hurried out before the doors closed.

Walking about trying to find her room was harder than she predicted. The dorm building was really big. Luckily, she ran into someone along the way.

"Hi, I'm Ruri. Sorry, but could you show me where 708 is? Heh..." Her confusion was plainly shown on her face.

The black haired girl smiled, but Ruri though she saw sympathy on her lips. "Sure. I'm headed to 710, right next to you. But I feel sorry for you... You're going to room with Courtney." Her sympathy even showed in her voice.

"Courtney?"

She leaned in. "Only the biggest snob here. Come to me if you want to get away from her." Laughing, she led Ruri to her room. The door was black with silver numbers. "Knock three times if you need me."

"Alright! Thank you so much!" Ruri turned and drew out her card, sliding it in. She expected to take it out again, but the lock actually sucked it in! The door was unlocked, though, so she walked in. Her room card was sticking out the other side of the door. She smiled. Nifty.

Grabbing her key, she looked around at the new room she would be living in for the next couple months. There was a good sized living room, with a small sized tiled room which held a sink and counter.

There were two doors leading out of the living room behind the couch. One said A and one B. Ruri walked over and inserted the second card she got right above the handle of door A. One more light turned green, and she walked in.

"Yeah, can you believe-- HEY, WOULD YOU MIND KNOCKING! JEEZ! TALKING HERE!" The black haired girl on one of the small beds resumed talking on the phone. Ruri was actually a little taken aback by how rude she was. Dropping her pack on the bed across from her new roommate, she saw her suitcases by the foot of the bed.

She was about to walk out again, trying to keep her temper to a simmer. "I'm going out, okay?"

The preppy girl hung up from her chat. "Pfft. Like I care."

Back to Eddie boy...

"Finally! Gawd these rooms take forever to find..." Ed slid his card in, and slipped into the new room with his bag.

"OH! What 'tchya gonna do then, freak!"

"Crap... Oh yeah! I got a bonus! Beat that!"

Ed stared at the boys in front of him. It looked like they were playing something on a game console Ed had never seen. "Uh... Am I going to interrupt something by asking who you guys are..?"

"Hey, look! We got ourselves a newbie! HAH!" One boy turned, whipping slightly long brown hair and dark brown eyes. His finger flew to the pause button as he stood up. "The name's Ben. I'm in B. What's up?"

The guy next to Ben stood as well. He had short black hair and small glasses. "I'm Zack, and I reside in A."

The last of the three jumped up and laughed, jutting a thumb at his own chest. "I'm with Zack. Name's Kent." His strawberry blonde hair was spiked, and he had a tattoo of a black and red dragon up his left arm .Ed inclined his head to each in turn, saying, "I'm Edward. You can call me Ed."

"So," Ben said, "I take it you're in B?" Ed nodded quickly. "Then Welcome to your new home! First things first, no chicks in my-- oh, sorry-- our... bedroom unless their hot." Ed laughed. Inwardly he thought, _Well, I guess I can bring Ruri up here!_ But he quickly brushed the thought from his mind, wondering what brought it their in the first place.

"Second," added Kent, "you need to have at least a little skill in video games. If you don't, we'll beat it into you." Ed laughed again.

"No problem."

"Third," continued Zack, "clean up after yourself." But Ed thought he was saying it more to the boys beside him than himself. They smiled sheepishly. "I already have to clean up after these two despite our agreement, so don't expect me to do it for you. No offence."

"None taken. Thanks, I wouldn't want to hold up your game any longer, so I'm going to go unpack."

All three teens smirked and plopped back to their original positions.

In 308 B - - -

Ed walked into the room, glad that he had nice roommates. _At least it's not going to be a living hell_, he thought. Unpacking, he placed everything in a comfortable position, hanging clothes, being sure to avoid intruding on Ben's space. After that was done, he laid on the bed, sighing. He still couldn't get the memory of Shiro out of his mind, his sneer, the way he looked at Ed when he came near Ruri.

_Ruri... _

There was a quick and quiet knock on the door. Ed only heard it from the door to the separate bedroom being open, so he could also hear the boys laughing and shoving each other._ Hmm... _

"I got it!" Ben flew off the couch. Running up to the black door, he twisted the silver handle and flung the door open. "Did someone order pi--Whoah!" His eyes widened. "Who are you? Hah! Never mind that, come on in!" He ushered the stranger inside. Ed was still lying on the bed, unwilling to move. But he could make out every word.

Including the voice that said, "Uh, did I get the wrong room?" _Ruri!_

"Who are you looking for?" Ben asked gently, hand on Ruri's shoulder. She shifted uncomfortably.

"She's looking for me!" Ed swung into view, making the teenage girl sigh with relief.

"Ed! Okay, Jeez, I though I got lost... Heh..." She rubbed the back of her head, slipping out of Ben's grip and walking to blonde haired boy, her military partner. And her friend.

"WHOAH, ED! YOU ACTUALLY KNOW THIS CHICK!" Zack's eyes bugged along with Kent's.

Ben's mouth was slightly open in surprised. Ed stood glaring. After recovering, Ben said slyly, "Whe-he-hell, she's definitely allowed in our room!"

Ed blushed slightly as he looked over to Ruri, knowing what he meant. "Come on," he muttered. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in.

Inside 308 B... again...

"Why did you come?"

"Oh, so now you don't want me here?"

"NO! That's not what I meant! Jeez..."

"Well, I have a preppy bitch for a roommate, I finished unpacking, I was bored, and..." She hesitated.

"And what?"

"I wanted to see you. Is that a problem?"

"No. But I know that's not the only reason you came. When you walked in you looked really excited."

"Oh!" She shook her head. "I almost forgot. Here." Ruri pulled out a small slip of folded paper from her jacket pocket. "I thought you might be interested." Ed read quickly through the sheet, considering whether he might want to join the competition or not. "Hey! I never noticed this before!" she said as she moved closer, pointing at a line at the bottom of the sheet. "It says you can have a partner."

"So?" The small distance between the two made Ed uneasy. "What's the point?"

"Ed! Gosh, you are so slow. We could team up, and more importantly, we could win!" She adopted a lower voice, almost a whisper. "We _are_ state alchemists, Ed."

"You got a point there."

Raising her voice to its normal level, she said, "So will you compete with me?"

He considered a bit longer, slumping on the bed, behind where she was sitting. She twisted around to look at him. "Sure, why not."

"YES!" She punched the air in front of her with glee. "We are so gonna _kick their butts_!"

A shadow of a smile crossed Ed's lips.

A little while later, about 8:00, following Ruri to her dorm...

_Too bad the grounds are closed at 8:00_, Ruri thought silently. _I was having fun while they showed us around. _She looked back on Ed's roommates showing the two undercover workers around the grounds._ Heh._

After sliding into her room, she got some grapes out of the fridge. Popping one after the other into her mouth, she walked into her separate room, where she would be sleeping.

"'Bout time. My God, you shouldn't leave your crap on my side. And I'm not going to move it." Courtney was lying on the bed again, drawing with charcoal in her sketch book.

Ruri ignored the comment, picking up the one stray shoe on 'her side'. In a questioning tone, she said, "You draw, too? What do you like to draw?""

Courtney looked up, almost shocked. "...You care?"

"Well yeah, I'm going to be living with you for the next couple months. I can at least get to know you, right?"

Quickly regaining her ice cold stare, Courtney brushed back a sleek long lock of midnight hair. "Pfft. Right."

I know this didn't have much action in it, but I am like really, REALLY tired, and I'm going in for surgery in a couple days. Hopefully I will be able to update during recovery. Ha


	11. Wings

Following Ruri out of third period...

Ruri looked down at her schedule again. It read:

0) 8:00 Homeroom, room 5

1) 8:15 Practical Studies, room 6

2) 9:30 Structural Studies, room 3

3) 10:45 Break

4) 11:00 Alchemic Theory, room 2

5) 12:15 Lunch, Cafe/Courtyard

6) 12:45 Alchemic Theory II, room 2

7) 2:00 Self Defense / Endurance Training, Obstacle Course Outside

8) 3:15 Break

9) 3:30 Mini class- Transmutation Circles

10) 4:00 Mini class: Alchemy's History

At 4:30, everyone will let out. Snack shop opens at 4:45 and closes at 8:00. GROUNDS NOW CLOSE AT 9:30. Every student must be in his or her own dorm by this time. Good luck!

Ruri sighed. At least it was lunchtime, right?

Fighting through the crowd clogging up the halls, she headed to the rotunda, where she and Ed always planned to meet. She got every class with him except 1, 2, 9, and 10.

She brushed past him saying, "Catch me if you can!" Smirking, he ran after her through the halls, reaching for her billowing jacket tied around her waist. She ran around the pole in the Cafeteria and stopped abruptly in line. As he caught up to her, she said, "Jeez, you're slow."

Ed flew into a frenzy. "WHAT, IS IT BECAUSE I'M SHORT? HUH! WELL, I'M NOT, SO--" But he was cut off by Ruri's hand, which slapped across his mouth. Several people were staring from nearby tables.

"Could you be any louder!" she hissed.

Outside after getting lunch...

Ed broke the silence. "Hey," he said. "Do you want to come see Al with me later?"

Ruri looked up. "Sure. I can't believe their cramping him up in the Staff room all day."

"Yeah..." He looked away.

"Have you seen anything strange lately?"

"Huh?"

"Ed," Ruri frowned and lowered her voice. "We're here on a mission for the military! We need to check out what's going on. Remember, Roy told us that the students were acting strange."

He looked over at her. "So...?"

"So have you seen anything strange?" she repeated.

"Nope."

"Ed! Hey Ruri!" Ben called as he rushed up the hill to meet them. Ed and Ruri immediately dropped all forms of conversation.

He plopped himself next to Ruri and said, "Hey, what's up?"

The two teens glared at him. Ruri scooted away just a little bit.

"Hey," he said again, "Are you doing anything tonight, Ruri?"

"I.. uh--"

"There's a new Cafe just south of the school grounds. I'd like you two come with me."

"Sorry, no thanks..."

A deep sense of sorrow tainted his face. "Where will you--"

"She'll be with me." Ed cut in. His glare became as sharp and hard as diamond.

"Oh yeah? Is that right?" Ben snapped.

"Yes, in fact it _is_." Ed snapped back. Ruri sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. _Immature..._ she thought.

Ben crossed his arms. "Pfft. Like she's actually _wants_ to go with you."

"As a matter of fact, I would." She thought it best to end the fight before it got ugly. "I'm Ed's girlfriend."

Ed's jaw dropped as Ben's eyes bugged in disbelief. His former stare ("Oh I love you, Ruri! Come to me, kiss me...") had hardened and melted at the same time. But anger flared all the same. ("Ruri, how could you be _his_ girlfriend? _How_? HOW!") _He's buying the whole thing!_ she thought happily.

"Fine. See you guys later." Ben stood up and almost jogged away, trying to keep his cool.

"GIRLFRIEND! Ruri, what were you_ thinking_!" Ed stared at her, blushing slightly.

She smiled flirtatiously. (Is that a word...?) "You know you want it to be true! HAH!" She stood up and threw the trash to a nearby trash can, laughing hard. "Whew..." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

But she let her guard down for a few seconds, giving Ed passage. To tackle her. He lunged, hitting her square on, He meant to knock her over, and he succeeded. But what he didn't want was to knock himself over, too. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, trying to regain his own balance.

Not a chance.

Both of them fell, rolling down the grassy hill. Ruri and Ed both landed on their sides, close together. Ed's arms were still around her waist.

Laughing, Ruri said, "Well, we better go. Don't wanna be late on the last day of our first week, do we?" Ed mentally shook himself out of the shock and nodded. Standing, they brushed themselves off and headed inside to the next period.

During Seventh Period, or the Self Defense thing outside...

In the girls' locker rooms...

"Hey, Ruri," a girl called.

"Hmm?" Ruri turned as she was pulling on her training shirt. "Oh, hey Caitlin, what's up?"

Caitlin was a girl that Ruri had met a couple days ago. Turns out, she was new too, and she roomed in 708 A, right next to her. It was instant friendship, since both were kind and funny, and since...

They looked almost like twins.

At first, both teens had thought it was way too creepy, or just a trick of the light. But as they talked, Ruri found they had a lot in common.

"Are you headed out for training?" Caitlin asked. She pulled her blonde hair out of its low bun and brushed it out.

"Yeah, do you have attack or defense training?" Ruri asked back. She knew that each student would switch from attack to defense, or defense to attack training times throughout the year. Then the major exam... (Ruri has Defense, then Attack, then Defense, then ending the last quarter of the year with Attack again.)

"Attack, what do you have?"

"Crap. I have Defense. But at least the fields are right next to each other." She smiled hopefully. Caitlin nodded, but looked a little disappointed. "Hey, what day is it?"

"October 12th, why?"

Ruri went into immediate panic. _It's... it's my birthday... I'm 15..._ She sat down, shaking, eyes wide and staring at nothing.

"Hey Ruri, hurry up in there!" a teen voice called from outside.

Ruri quickly smiled, knowing Ed would wait as long as she took. "...That's... That's Ed. I'll introduce you when we meet with him outside."

Caitlin nodded again, happy for the great friend in front of her. "Ha. Let's hope he doesn't hate me..."

Ruri got a sudden idea. "Hey," she said quietly. "Since we look so much alike, maybe we could pull something off... Let me use your hair tie."

Caitlin nodded and handed the black band to her, but looked confused.

Ruri pulled her hair into Caitlin's famous low bun, which was always kind of messy since she didn't care much about her appearance.

"Now let me have your earrings, and you can use my bracelet and choker..." Once the girls had completed the switching of the others' possessions, they looked at each other. (Ruri and Caitlin were both wearing long wide sleeves)

It was like looking in a mirror.

With Ruri's trademark choker and Caitlin's bun, no one could tell the difference.

And that was just what Ruri was planning on. Quickly, so they wouldn't be late, Ruri pushed Caitlin out of the Locker rooms and peered around the corner. Ed was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He glanced at Caitlin.

"It's about time, you took forever in there. Come on Ruri, we're going to be late. As he walked away and reached for the door, Ruri stepped out.

"Are you going to leave without me?"

Ed whipped around, eyes flickering between the two, narrowing suspiciously. "That's not funny."

People walking by to their training session even turned to stare.

"Yeah it is!" Ruri and Caitlin said together. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Out on the Defense field...

_Whoah, look at him go,_ Ruri thought, eyes gleaming with amazement. Ed was on the obstacle course, blasting hole in walls of rock, punching and kicking, flipping over spears, handling a sword, all like a pro. He seemed weightless, how high he could jump and back flip, but so solid how he could block dozen blows with his auto mail arm. Transmuting his arm into a jagged blade, Ed easily decapitated a dummy in his way. He jumped over and sliced through the back of another, going through the marked area where the heart would be. Grabbing the flag from the end of the course, he ran back to the starting point. Ruri didn't even see a drop of sweat on him.

"Good job, Takahashi. Your time is 2:37 and 55 milliseconds," said the coach. "But, remember, this is defense."

"Thank you." He bowed and walked up to Ruri.

"Nice going," she said, playfully shoving him in the shoulder.

"Piece of cake," he said, smirking.

"Look," Ruri pointed to the field on their left. Caitlin was up, and she bolted into the course. Sprinting faster than Ruri had ever seen, she jumped and held up two fingers on her right hand, both close together. A stream of green shot from her extended fingers, blasting the ground below her. A disk of dirt transmuted into stone. But instead of sitting there like a normal stone should, it flew up to her quickly descending feet. She posed there for a quick moment, and then continued.

Flying on her disk, she pointed at a nearby block of wood, changing it to a bow and arrows. Quickly bending down, she jumped off, and picked them up. From her jacket, she made a quiver to stick the extra arrows in.

"How does she keep the disk up?" Ruri whispered, amazed.

"Easy. She transmutes the air under it to something that can hold it up."

"I knew that."

"Right."

"And look, her hand sign is the same as mine. That's pretty cool."

"Girls..."

Caitlin knocked the arrow into place and shot it at the nearest target. It hit dead center. She did various other moves, including fence, flip like Ed, and decapitate several things.

Like Ed, she bowed and walked to the back of the line, as the other coach repaired everything with alchemy.

"Matsumoto, you're up." Ruri shook her head and walked to the beginning. "Ready?" She nodded. "Begin!"

Ruri leaped off the ground and made the same sign as Caitlin with her fingers. But her stream of alchemy was black, streaked with ice blue.

She blocked herself with shields of ice transmuted from the available water, drove spikes through the hearts of enemies, and basically fought with such intensity, she forgot who she was.

The next couple seconds was a blur.

_An arrow shot from the forest, pelting toward her._

_She didn't have time to react._

_A person behind her was screaming her name. _

_So she did the only thing she could think of._

_She released her wings._

_The unfamiliar white startled her, and the arrow lodged itself in her shoulder..._

_The voice called out one more time before she lost conciseness._

_"Ruri!"_

Two hours later, in the Institute's clinic...

"Ugh... Ed, get off me..."

Ed's eyes flew open and he smiled, a tear falling down his face. She felt it land on her wrist as he moved closer.

"Ruri! Damn, that was close... Are you okay?"

"Yes, how are you?"

"Can you hear me?"

Ruri glanced around the white room. Al was on her right, and she could see the familiar head of Caitlin at the foot of her bed.

"What happened?"

"Someone shot you with an arrow..." Caitlin started. She trailed off.

Al continued. "But right before it his you..."

Ed finished. "You sprouted wings, Ruri. Only we saw before you fainted and lost them again."

Ruri stared. "Wings..."

They looked at her, wanting to know what was going on.

"WINGS! SHIT ED! I NEED TO GO!" She sat up, pain shooting through her shoulder where the arrow hit.

"Why? And where!" Ed pushed her down again.

"Anywhere... I need to... Talk to you! We need to talk! Let's go!"

"Fine." She felt his arms slide under her knees and shoulders. Lifting her like a bride, he said, "'Scuse us."

In Ed's room...

Ruri was crying and sweating, pale as his sheets as he set her down on them. Ruri sat up and leaned against the wall. Her eyes were filled with devastation, tragedy, angst, and sorrow as he sat beside her.

Putting a hand on her cheek to bring her back into focus, he said. "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "When... When I was little, my prophecy had been told to us... my family... from a woman who came to our door. She was tall and beautiful, with long brown hair. Her name was Aradia. I remember every word she said...

_"Dear child, when you grow and blossom like a flower, when you are fifteen, you will grow _

_the feathers of life. You will feel it in your soul from then on. People will no longer see you as a normal girl. _

_Laws of nature will be broken, and by you alone. But do not fret, for it will do you no harm. _

_The one you love will be there with you, always by your side. _

_And friends will surround you. But never let down your guard. _

_It may cost you your life._

Tears slid down her cheeks as she looked over at Ed. "I can feel it." Standing on shaky legs, she bowed her head.

And her wings came out once again.

Ed rose in shock. He let the silky white feathers slide through his fingers as his eyes ran over them. But Ruri wasn't done.

"Ed?"

"... Yeah?" he whispered. His eyes never left her wings.

"You know the woman I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

Ruri took a deep breath.

"She had a son named Alphonse with her."

Ouch! Alright, thanks for the reviews! I loved them! especially the one from edward's-love hoping my surgery went well... still don't know how to spell... that was a long chapter! XD I'm bleeding still, but not much. They put me on laughing gas, and all I could think was, "Hey, that's not my voice! Where am I? _Who_ am I?" Ha.


	12. What the moonlight reveals

IF YOU GOT AN ALERT FOR A NEW CHAPTER BUT ALREADY READ THIS, SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN. READ THE LAST PARTS.

Alright, for everyone who doesn't know, megami means goddess. (so my user thingy is fallen goddess) It will become important.

My lips are still numb... - -'

* * *

"She had a son named Alphonse with her." 

Ed froze. His eyes were still planted on the snowy white feathers that had burst forth from her shoulder blades.

But they dispersed back into her body, for she was running out of energy. The last thing she said before fainting in Ed's arms was, "Ed, I don't think I'm an alchemist, huh?"

Recovering slightly from shock, Ed wrapped shaky hands around her and layed her on his bed. He layed down next to her and fell asleep within the first ten minutes.

In the hosiptal ward thingy...

"I wonder why they needed to go," Caitlin said with amusement. "Hope their not..." she snickered. "_Getting busy_... Hah!"

"That's not funny! Of course their not doing that! How could you think such a thing!" Al walked over and stared at the open door with the girl beside him. "...I hope..."

Alright, we're going to go kind of fast...

Through the next month, Ruri and Ed behaved as normally as they could around eachother, not mentioning the word Wings around anyone. Ruri even tried to shove it from her mind, even when she felt like she had to release them or she would die. Almost like yawning. If you don't yawn when your body wants to, you kinda get this sick feeling... (or at least I do...)

Classes went normally. And Courtney was a -coughbitchcoughcough- as usual. Ben glared at Ed when he was seen with Ruri. Everything was normal.

Until one day.

"ED! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND LET ME IN!" Ruri pounded on his dorm door.

Someone tried to open the door.

"It's me, Ed. You can come in. What's wrong, anyway? She stepped in. Ed gasped. "_Put those things away!_" he hissed.

From the other room, they heard; "Hey, Ed, you gonna come play or are we gonna have ta sit here all day!" Kent sounded eager to play again.

"Uh, I'm going to study in my room, alright?"

"What! Why!" They heard footsteps coming closer.

"Shit..." Ed grabbed a blanket and wrapped Ruri in it saying, "Ruri's here. She's alone and needs to study. We'll be in my room, please knock!" But Kent still saw two bulges on Ruri's back as they sprinted around through the door.

"Huh?"

In Ed's room...

Ed yanked off the blanket saying, "Now would you mind explaining why we almost risked letting your secret out?"

Ruri looked down. "They won't..."

"Won't what!"

"I can't hide them... They won't go away any more..."

"Great. Just what we need..."

"And one more thing..." She looked up.

He waited.

"I... I think I will be able to fly, Edward."

* * *

Well, Ruri might fly... Interesting... 

Ruri and Ed finally found a way to hide her wings, but they still popped out every few minutes. At least she got a warning first.

She threw up. Isn't that nice?

Ruri randomly puked throughout the end of the month of November. Caitlin finally got mad at her for not telling why she was "sick", so she followed Ruri to the bathroom. When feathers futtered down on her head and she heard some pretty nasty sounds, she got the hint. She checked to make sure no one else was there, and locked the main door.

"Ruri Matsumoto! I can't believe you didn't tell me! Come out here right now, let me see." (Remember, Caitlin knows she has wings, so she's not demanding anything nasty. Just trying to comfort Ruri.)

Ruri wiped her mouth and open the door. She looked really pale.

Caitlin gasped at the sized of her wings, now taking up half the bathroom when she stretched for her to see. "They have _definately_ gotten bigger..."

"That's not all. Look at me, Caitlin! Look at my face!" Ruri was on the tiled floor of the bathroom, pleading. Tears were in her eyes.

Her face had changed. Eyes were filled with knowing and sadness, but at the same time, confusioin and delight at something new. Something that made her different from all the others. Her cheekbones were more acute and a little higher. Lips were thin and sharp. And her hair was longer, now reaching where her legs met. Her figure had even slimmed and filled out.

Caitlin knelt with her, embracing her new friend. "You are beautiful, Ruri. You shouldn't regret that. Infact," she added, "You look almost like an goddess with those wings!"

Ruri grew quiet , but forced a smile, hugging her friend tighter.

December 25th, 4:30 am (I could never get up that early...)...

Ruri slid out of bed extra early. Her feet silently swept across the floor as she dressed, Courtney turned the other way in her bed. Since it was a holiday, the students were free to do whatever they wanted. The young girl's heart quickened as she realized what she was about to do. Scampering out of the dorm building, she sprinted south of school grounds, down the hill. There she saw what she hoped she would.

A small lake sat calmly in the moonlight. A bigger tree stood beside it, long branches leafless in the winter cold. Despite that all Ruri was wearing was a small tanktop and sophies, she wasn't cold.

But what she didn't see was the dark figure beside the tree, sitting on the shore of the lake. She ran fast, avoiding lights and cameras. Once she was there, she stood panting at the base of the tree. But fighing back the wave of sleepiness and nausea that was washing over her, Ruri began to climb. Reaching the lowest branch (finally) she stood, one hand on the trunk. Jumping and hoisting herself onto the next one, then the next, she climbed ever higher until she was at least forty feet from the ground. Still, she did not notice the strange figure on the ground, which was staring up after her.

From where the "Strange figure on the ground" is sitting... -coughEdnoduhcoughcough-

Edward Elric watched as she pulled herself ever higher with strengthened arms._ What are you doing, Ruri?_ His eyes flashed in the moonlight and water tickled his feet as she reached on of the top branches. Unfurling her wings like she had done so many times before, Ruri jumped.

Back to the crazy girl...

_I really hope my dream is right_, Ruri thought, crossing her fingers and releasing her wings.

Dream time...

_The transformed girl ran down the street barefooted. Moonlight bathed her in its beauty as she pelted toward a tree south of the school grounds._

_A lake stood waiting for her. The moon winked hello in the water as she began to climb._

_She reached the fifth from top branch, panting. Releasing her huge wings, she jumped. _

_And she flew. _

_Landing in the center of the lake, touching down lightly on the reflected moon. But she did not sink. _

_She stood proudly, completing a task no human would ever be able to do. _

Sorry, no more dream. The rest is a surprise...

Ruri jumped and layed flat, as she had seen in the dream. But falling at first, she got frightened.

Flexing the muscles in her back, she gained altitude. And, again, just as she had seen in the dream, she flew out toward the lake.

She was above the brilliant shine of the moon now, and she decended. Closing her eyes, she landed there, folded her wings, and opened her arms wide. The water rippled away from her feet, swirling around her ankles, tickling her toes. She was indeed proud of herself. But if the dream was right, she could not control what happened next. But she could hear it.

The cracking sound of ice and feezing water met her ears from behind. Not daring to turn to see if he would come, she said, "Come. Please don't be afraid." In her dream, a voice had said,_ Do this, and it will show you the one you love._ So she had. And she waited.

To Ed...

A bridge of ice had formed beneath and behind Ruri as Ed watched, amazed. _So she was telling the truth when she said she could fly..._ From her rasped a voice. "Come. Please don't be afraid." He obliged, stepping on the bridge leading to her to test its strength.

He took one step. Two. Ten. Twenty. Forty. And he was there. Placing his hand on her shoulder, a light emmited from his palm. Winds swirled around Ruri, bathing her in unnatural light. When it was gone, she turned. "Ed!"

"Ruri..." She did look like a goddess. Her clothes had changed. She was now wearing a white robe, lined in blue, with diamonds and sapphires. A tie held it together, made of silk. And she hugged him.

In turn, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. And before his courage left him, he said three words that changed her life forever.

"I love you."

* * *

Ruri awoke with a start, hitting her head on the ceiling. 

"Damn ceiling..." She looked at her clock. Green numbers flared 6:26 in the night, cutting through the darkness. She flopped back down, sighing._ It was just a dream... A dream about having a dream, and..._ Ruri paused. _He told me he loved me..._

_I know! I'll summon Shiro. He can probably help with everything... He has wings, too... Here we go! _(Sorry, Shiro haters...) Jumping out of bed, Ruri climbed down the ladder and touched the floor. It felt like she had done it not long ago. Pointing to the center of the floor, she let a black streak of lightning spark out, then whispered, "Shalom tai terelsee." (Deliver him to me) A head rose from the floor, shoulders, chest, waist, legs, feet. Shiro was standing before her.

"Shiro, I need--"

"Huh? ...Ruri? ...Whose that?" Courtney rose slowly into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's a boy doing in our-- OH MY GOD WHAT WERE YOU GUYS DOING!"

Ruri sighed. _This is going to be hard... _"Excuse us." She dragged Shiro out the door and planted him in front of her. His silver hair blew in an invisible breeze.

"Shiro, I need your help."

He crossed his arms. "Wow. Nice to see you, too."

"Shiro, I'm serious." He remained silent. She went on. "I have wings. My figure is changing with my face and hair. I'm having weird dreams. I can transform my clothes at will. I'm not human, Shiro! I'm scared!" Tears were once again streaming down her face.

Shiro remained calm, but his eyes sparked with interest and sympathy. "The first part of your prophacy has been fufilled. Does the shrimp know?"

Ruri nodded and pulled him out the door, heading for the elevator.

Ed needs a little attention...

Ed woke suddenly, sweating. Sheets were entangled in his limbs, and he was hugging his pillow.

_Damn..._

Memories of the dream flooded into his mind. The tree, the lake, the ice, crossing the bridge, and...

"I love you." He whispered the words in a raspy voice. He needed to see Ruri. Ask her what happened.

So he headed out.

Back to Ruri now...

Ruri ran down the third floor hall, eager to see the blonde boy she dreampt about.

The dream was vivid in her memory...

"Oof! Crap, what was-- Ed, is that you!"

"Ruri!" Ed pulled Ruri up. Their eyes met. Both looked away quickly, blushing like mad. Ruri noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Luckily, it was still dark.

"Come on, we need to talk somewhere else," he said, looking at Shiro.

Ruri thought. "I have an idea..."

Three minutes later...

"Here's where it began," Ruri said. She remembered the place from her nightly vision. It felt like she had gone there a million times.

"Would you guys mind explaining this, please!" Shiro's face flushed red with anger, illuminated by silver light. Shiro got bored from all the blushing, and the silence. He released his wings from his back. Ruri's wings were bigger than his when she repeated his actions. He flew up and perched in the tree, waiting for her and Ed to follow.

"Hello, I don't have wings!" Ed was fuming. "Gah!"

Ruri had grabbed his hands and started upward, struggling with the extra weight. Under her breath, she muttered "Lazy..."

"Hmph." As RUri finally made it to the branch opposite Shiro's, she let the short blonde boy go. (He really is short. Only about 5' 4". I'm thirteen and like 5' 8")

"Alright. Tell me what's going on."

Quickly, she and Ed relays the events of the past few days, and the dream. But when they got to the last part, both suddenly paused.

"Oh. Wonderful. You guys were dreaming about _that_!"

"NO, YOU IDIOT!" Ruri pushed Shiro off his branch, blushing furiously. "God, demons these days..."

She and Ed laughed as she brought him down again, letting him go at ten feet. He landed neatly and looked up at her.

Shiro said then, "Okay, other than that being completely uncalled for, everything is pretty much normal. You're going to have a couple more dreams, but I don't know why the shrimp has 'em, too. Other than that, watch out for the last part of the prophacy, Ruri."

As the young girl started to submerge the demon back into his world, he winked and said, "I love you!"

Ruri rolled her eyes and Ed turned away, glaring. "Bye Shiro!" But Ed could still here the sadness in her voice, not for parting with her friend, but for something else...

"What's wrong?"

"...The second part of the prophacy hasn't been fufilled yet. That's why I was dreading my birthday. If wings hadn't just decided to pop out, I thought maybe... the second part would be inaccurate at well..."

"What's the second part?"

Her eyes grew and her face paled even further.

"The second and last part of my prophecy goes like this...

_' Don't think it's over even when it's done. _

_Someone very dear to you will be lost forever, to sleep a never-ending night.' "_

Tears spilled down her face as Ed pulled her close.

_Don't die... _

_

* * *

_ Duh Duh DuDuuuuhhh... You don't know whose going to die yet, but I do! It's either -_BEEEP!_- or -_BEEEP!_-. Poor people... Anywho, the review toll for the next chappie is **30 Reviews**! Thank you everybody! Byes!

Ruri out!

* * *

Aright, sorry everyone. Yes, I had to increase the review thing cause this bit-- (sorry, readers) sent in like 3 abuse thingies. that wasnt cool. anyhoo, ANOTHER ONE OF MY CHAPTERS GOT DELETED! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! Omg im so gonna sue someone here... I will try very hard to get the next chapter up soon, so please dont get mad! i have a ton of crap due... Oh, and Im putting up a story on fiction press dot com (i typed it out so it wouldnt get deleted) under-- guess-- fallen-megami. It's easier to remember the same screenname, isnt it? I think its going to be called "What Everyone Hates About Love" or something. Byes!  



	13. The End, the Beginning

Alright, finally I'm posting this!

Thank you SO MUCH for all your patience! You guys are the best!

* * *

January 5th... 

"Come on! Please? It was your idea anyway!"

"No! What if I embar--"

"Let's go!"

Ed grabbed Ruri's arm and dragged her halfway across campus until they reached the lunchroom lobby. Flinging the door open, he walked inside and let go, reading the list posted on the wall. He marked Ruri's name under "#7" and his own under "#13". He turned and smirked. "I signed it in pen, so you can't erase! HAH!"

She growled. From behind them came a female voice of an adult.

"Good. We now have two hundred participants. We may continue."Ed and Ruri whipped around to see First Lt. Riza Hawkeye. Even though Ed was shocked to see her on their mission, he still saluted. Ruri didn't, brcause Riza wasn't wearing her military uniform, so she had no idea who she was dealing with. "I will be the host of the tournament. He..." she jestured toward the door, "will be a judge."

A man walked in. He was tall and had white gloves. Jet black hair, and a smirk. Now who does that remind you of?

"Colonel Mustang!" Ruri saluted this time, too, because she knew he was military personel. "What are you doing here?"

"Like Hawkeye said, I will be judging. Good luck."

Riza reached into her pocket and withdrew a small device. Pushing a button, she spoke into it with a loud voice. "All participants of the alchemy competition, please come the the lunchroom lobby. I repeat..." Her voice rang out loud and clear throughout the grounds, signaling for the students to come for instructions.

A few minutes later, there were 200 people in the lunchroom lobby.

"Alright," Roy said calmly, "Here's what you have to do..."

* * *

January sixth, 10:00 am... 

Ruri sat nearvously, twiddling her thumbs. It was her turn next, for part one. She was battling Ben. Ed had already fought Courtney, and beat her easily. But he was still in the recovery ward, having his right leg stabbed by a dagger. He was very lucky it missed all serious tendons.

A cheer went up from the crowd. A scream from a student, gasps whispering over the audience. A whistle, clapping, laughing, and she could softly hear "Good fight, I enjoyed it."

Over the speakers came Hawkeye's voice. "Nice fight. Talia will move onto the next round. Let's thank Nichole for putting up a good fight."

"Thank you Nichole!" swept from the crowd.

"Next we have Ruri Matsumoto and Ben duPont. Please step out."

Ruri slowly rose, wondering if the Ben from Ed's dorm was the one she was up against. Walking out of the small room on shaky legs, she relized it was. Meeting in the center of the field, they bowed to eachother, then she lifted her right hand for him to shake. Her color was silver, his was gold. She saw the metalic-colored links around their wrists as he shook her hand.

"Go easy on me," he whipered. She looked up to see him smiling at her. A faint blush was unseen on her cheeks.

"Begin!"

Ben did not hesitate. He jumped back, crossing his arms, and shot an attack strait at her heart. Quickly she reacted, bringing up a sheild from the dirt floor. The wall held as the yellow stream hit it. As she peeked around, she saw he was transmuting a block of metal into a sword. Looking back, she saw there were also raw materials on her side for combat use. As she looked back, he stood in attack position. A chain necklace held a transmutation circle pendant around his neck.

_Ha. This will be so easy, it wont even be funny. _She could hear Al cheering her on in the crowd.

Pointing to the gound beneath her feet, a stream of black and lime green shot from her fingers._ Wha-- I though it was black and blue, not green! _

But all the same, Ruri's plan worked. A pillar of solid dirt rose, elevating her 30 feet. Ben looked up and smiled, crossing his arms and bending down.

He too rose into the air, at her level now. They were on pillars, three feet from eachother.

"Hello," he said tauntingly. He swung his sword with unmatched speed, and cut off about an inch of Ruri's hair as she ducked. He now swung from overhead. It was coming strait down at her, and she hadn't made the pillar wide enough to move around.

The crowd fell silent as the next couple moments went by like a dream. The sword was coming down at her.

So she stopped it.

Her automail arm came to the rescue. The steel sword fell upon it, clanging loudly and echoing within the stadium. Ben's eyes grew wide. The fabric on Ruri's arm was now shredded. The silver braclet to determine which team she was on clattered against the uncovered wrist.

"Don't like automail, Benny-boy?" she said, voice seeping with temptaion at a fight. "Deal with it!" With her other hand, she flipped up two fingers at his sword, still pressing against her other arm.

"Augh--" Ben's sword melted into a blob in mid air, reshaping as a longer, thicker, sharper one.

"And so what if I con do what no one else can? You'll have do deal with that, too." Her eyes flashed black, a big contrast from her normal, crystal purple eyes. She ran her hand along the blade.

It turned clear. And froze. Ruri had transmuted a blade of steel into diamond. There were screams of astonishment surrounding her.

"Hello, Ben, I forgot to greet you." She flicked the sword up to his neck. But she didn't push. All she did was swipe the chain around his neck. The one that held his transmutation circle. "And goodbye."

He was frozen in shock. The necklace fell to the earth, far below. And she jumped. She even caught the necklace in midair.

Under her breath, Ruri murmured, "Sorry, Caitlin, going to have to steal your move for a minute here." From under her, she transmuted the air to a extremely,... um... un..dense... gas. It bouyed her up, and let her land safely on the ground. Smiling, she turned fast and cut the column holding Ben up. It was easy, considering the quality of the diamond blade she now had. It cut through like water. He jumped to her old column, but she just cut that one too.

He started to fall. "Are you really going to give up that easy?" She did the same thing for him, but made it a slightly harder landing.

Only slighly.

"Argh! Damn you!" Ben stood and ran.

But Ruri wasn't paying attention.

He had another trick.

Benny boy had a knife in his sleeve, protected by a plastic case.

"Wha-- Gnn... _No_... " His knife went strait into her stomache. But that's not what she was worried about.

The tingling in her back came again, along with the wave of nausia.

"Ed..ward..." Ruri vomited blood all over Ben. It dripped down her shirt and pants. She could see about 20 people rushing to her. "_No! Bck off!_ You too, Ben." He pulled out the knife in shock. It seemed feeling her blood run down his sweating body woke him up.

And they came.

Her wings.

And the light.

The light encircled her, picking up off the gound. Her wings fluttered uselesely in the unseen breeze.

And she was slowly lifted toward the sky.

Ed's point of veiw...

Ruri floated upward toward the heavens above, no longer bound by the harsh rules gravity.

_No... Ruri..._

She glanced his way, almost reading his thoughts. Even though she was so far away, bleeding to her end, she smiled and said, "I love you Ed. I will come back. Don't forget."

And she disappered into the snowy clouds. Before she was completely gone though, Ed saw...

His mom.

She smiled at him, filling him with a longing to reach into the sky and hug her, tug at her apron like he did when he was little. He wanted to tell her about the days since he met Ruri, how muched he missed being with her, how much he loved her.

The image of her and Ruri dispersed, leaving Ed with an empty feeling. The two women he cared the most for had left him. Before consciousness completely left him, his thought one thing.

_...I love you too, Ruri._

_

* * *

_** Did you like it? Yes, this is the end of this story. But there will be a sequal to it! And Ruri will come back, and the second part of the prophecy will be fulfilled, sadly. I'm sorry this took so long to post. But did you like it? That's what I'm getting at. Please give me comments of constuctive critisism in the review you will post! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! YOU ARE AWSOME!**

**Ruri out! Until next time!**_  
_


	14. Author's Note

Hello! I'm very sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! This is just to tell you that the next story to this will be coming out soon, but I need a name for it! I'll put up my email so you can email an idea to me, 'cause it's against guidlines to use the review system for that. Again, I'm really sorry for the delay, but I have something for you! If you like Harry Potter, than I'm putting a story up for that too! Check it out, alright?

Thank you guys so much!

-Ruri-


	15. abother note

Hello everyone! this is the end for Ice and Dark, but please click on my username up at the top of this page (it's in blue). This will bring you to my user page, so you can read Ice and Dark II, the next in the series.

We were only planning on one... but it might just take three...

§ Fallen Megami §


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